The leaders in Navy Medicine education and training led a celebration of the 68th birthday of the Medical Service Corps (MSC) at their headquarters in San Antonio Aug. 4.

Military and civilian members of the Navy Medicine Education and Training Command (NMETC) gathered at Joint Base San Antonio - Fort Sam Houston (JBSA-FSH)-based facility to recognize and discuss the history and heritage of the MSC

"For all our MSCs, it really is a great day," said Capt. Jim LeTexier, NMETC deputy commander and the command's senior MSC officer. "Any day you can celebrate your heritage is great. It's a tradition. That's what we wake up every morning to go to work for."

Officially instated under the Army-Navy Medical Service Corps Act Aug. 4, 1947, Navy's MSC has grown exponentially the past several decades. Originally made up of a handful of officers in only four specialties (Supply and Administration, Medical Allied Sciences, Optometry and Pharmacy), there are now more than 3,000 active duty and reserve officers serving in 31 specialties wherever the Navy or Marine Corps has a presence.

"This is great," said Lt. j.g. Justin Becker, NMETC administrative division officer. "I'm still learning a lot of the MSC history, and I'm honored to be a part of it. Coming from the civilian sector, it truly is a different level of camaraderie and teamwork."

"One thing about the MSC is we do work well with other people," said LeTexier. "And we're all over the place. We work with Marines, Sailors, doctors and nurses. We couldn't do our job without all the other people there. It really is one team."

Medical Service Corps officers are diverse in their experience as they serve at on ships at sea, on a variety of deployments and humanitarian missions, and at joint medical research commands and Navy hospitals and clinics around the world.

NMETC's celebration consisted of reading a brief history of the corps and messages from Navy leadership including Vice Adm. Matthew Nathan, Surgeon General of the Navy and Chief of the Navy's Bureau of Medicine and Surgery.

"Medical Service Corps officers demonstrate their readiness around the world every day, at clinics, inpatient facilities, research labs, with the operational forces, and during humanitarian missions like Continuing Promise and Pacific Partnership," Nathan said in his message. "They are an essential factor to the readiness and efficiency of our force and hold a prominent place in the proud history of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps."

After the messages were read, in a time-honored tradition, LeTexier and Becker, the youngest and oldest MSC officers present, cut a celebratory cake together followed by light refreshments for everyone attending.

NMETC is an Echelon 3 flag headquarters command that manages Navy Medicine's formal education and training programs. NMETC is part of the Navy Medicine team, a global health care network of navy medical professionals around the world who provide high-quality health care to eligible beneficiaries. Navy Medicine personnel deploy with Sailors and Marines worldwide, providing critical mission support aboard ships, in the air, under the sea and on the battlefield.

For more news from Navy Medicine Education and Training Command, visit www.navy.mil/.